Program Updates

What is Hip Hop?

What is hip hop music and how does the industry impact my community? North Lawndale Digital Connectors recently answered this question during a three month civic journalism workshop and the launch of One Economy’s 247 TownHall (www.247townhall.org), an online civic engagement resource.

Over 50 youth Digital Connectors completed a structured journalism course including speakers from the Chicago Reporter, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Local partners and One Economy staff trained youth on how to use Flip video cameras and blogs to promote their stories. The youth chose the hip hop music industry as their topic and conducted on-camera interviews with their peers and neighbors.

Last month, the youth sponsored North Lawndale Youth Speak about Hip Hop! at North Lawndale’s College Preparatory High School. More than 100 youth listened to a panel of experts that included morning disc jockey Trey the Chocklit Jok (FM 92.3) speak about the state of the industry. Youth also premiered their footage on an original video, “What is Hop Hop?”

The Motorola Foundation and the City of Chicago’s After School Matters program support the Digital Connectors program. One Economy and the Motorola foundation are working together to create Chicago's first connected community through the development of broadband infrastructure, computer acquisition programs, online content, and training.

Lights… Camera… Action! – Digital Connectors Go Multimedia

Across the country, youth in the Digital Connectors program are giving back to their communities in a whole new way. The new Arts and Digital Media program is giving Digital Connectors the tools they need to capture audio and visual content and the skills to create exciting new media. With this new training, Digital Connectors are preparing to be the eyes and ears of their communities.

Earlier this year, Digital Connectors in the Bay Area received Flip cameras (small, easy-to-use digital camcorders) and audio recorders to capture the voices of their communities. Digital Connectors captured a variety of voices in their neighborhood in video that they have edited for placement on 247TownHall (www.247townhall.org), an online civic engagement and social networking resource. They have also spoken to students and parents about education, gathering content for ZipRoad (www.ziproad.org), our educational resource that provides information for students and parents. Click here to watch a video created by Digital Connectors.

Digital Connectors in Chicago’s North Lawndale community recently completed a four-week civic journalism workshop to get ready for an upcoming youth-led virtual town hall funded by the Motorola Foundation. Youth will be using flip camcorders and audio recorders to promote awareness for issues that are on young people’s minds today, such as the tone of the music industry and violence in schools.

As One Economy develops and expands its Arts and Digital Media curriculum, the Digital Connectors program will not only prepare the next generation of digital media specialists, it will cultivate a generation of social activists eager to voice their new, innovative ideas and solutions for old problems.